Field
The present invention relates generally to systems and devices with which to affix items to vehicles, and more particularly, to a system of panels and pucks used in conjunction with brackets to facilitate removably securing items to vehicles and thereby preventing movement, loss and damage to items while in transit.
Related Art
Transportation is a universal essential for society. Motorized vehicles carry people and things to and from various places. Vehicle manufacturers have provided various compartments and storage facilities in which to stow certain items. However, as a casual inspection of vehicles in common use would confirm, items in personal use vehicles and recreational vehicles often lie loose in trunks and cabins, on and under seats, on dashboards, on rear window ledges and so forth. As is commonly known, items tend to roll and bounce around during transport. This phenomenon is especially acute in recreational vehicles such as trucks and sport utility vehicles which do not have finely tuned suspensions and occasionally travel over unpaved and rough roads. Loose or unstowed items are susceptible to damage and loss.
Further, there is an abundance of open-type vehicles with open compartments that cannot be easily secured against theft of transported cargo. Such open-type vehicles include, among others, trucks having open beds, sport utility vehicles such as Jeep-brand vehicles having a removable or canvas top, convertibles having a removable hard top, and half-truck/half-car (coupe utility) style vehicles having open beds or compartments. What has not been available is a system to substantially enclose a compartment or cabin, and provide a device to facilitate securing of items within the space.
Over the years, commercial vehicle manufacturers have built various open and closed compartments into the interior of vehicles. However, these features suffer from many drawbacks. For example, if an item does not fit neatly into one of the rigid compartments, the item is often thrown loose into a trunk, under a seat or in a pocket behind a seat in the cabin of the vehicle. Freely movable items can present a danger to a passenger or driver during operation of the vehicle or during a collision. Even if an item fits within a compartment, the item is often unsecured therein and rattles around inside. Noises can cause irritation and distractions for vehicle operators. Further, when items are stowed inside compartments, it is not easy to inventory supplies for a trip or outing.
The after-market automotive product industry has offered a broad range of products for use with automobiles, pick-up trucks and other types of vehicles. In particular, some of these products work with truck beds to organize and secure loads relative to the truck bed or side wall. Known products have several limitations. For example, one limitation is that known organizers are bulky and fill a significant amount of space within or above a truck bed, on top of a vehicle or within the confines of a vehicle cabin even when not hauling cargo. Another limitation of known organizers is that they are difficult to install and time-consuming to adjust and use.
Loads commonly shift during transportation. Shifting can cause securing mechanisms (e.g., straps, elastic tie-downs) to become loose and ineffective. Use of straps and the like are time consuming to install and requires a user to anticipate how a load could shift during transportation. Accordingly, another limitation is the time consuming nature of known after-market straps and tie-downs. Another limitation is that they can only be secured to a few available locations within or outside of a vehicle. For example, in the bed of a truck, there are only a few loops or places that can accept a hook, rope or tie-down. Similarly, there are only a limited number of loops, lips, rolled edges, and the like within a cabin of cars, vans, sport utility vehicles and recreational vehicles to secure large items. Further, there are only a limited number of places and types of compartments, slots and so forth in which to store personal items in cars, vans, sport utility vehicles and recreational vehicles. Accordingly, there is an opportunity to improve upon attachment and safe storage devices and systems for items large and small.